Yet another RF build with custom trailer

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Hi guys, here's an update on the build. Finally done with all the welding and grinding. Here's a ready-for-painting-pic:


While I am writing this, the paint is drying in the garage. Those rattle can fumes cannot be good for my brain. Getting a headache even with a filter mask.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, I will fire this thing up for a premiere burn to cure the paint. I painted the firebox with some 800 deg C paint and the cooking chamber with some 650 deg C paint (that's 1470 and 1200 deg F unless you have the C to F autoconversion activated :-)

I am a bit worried about having gotten all the dimensions right. I have followed the calculator like a slave, double checking everything. I even got up after going to bed one night to triple check the firebox to cooking chamber opening. The calculator works on inches while everything on this side of the Atlantic is in metric. I have had to translate all measurements to metric units (it is plain impossible to find a measuring device for inches where I live), so I am a bit nervous about that. My nightmare is finding that the cooking chamber to firebox opening is too small and having to redo that... Yikes.

The thing became a bit heavy on the rear. I am not too far off but my axle placement calculations were not spot on. Tried very hard to do it right as I built the trailer first, but... It might tow ok, we'll just have to test.  I am planning to mount a wood basket thingy on the front end so it might not be a problem anyway. I don't want my precious fishtailing on me - spent too many hours on it to trash it in that way.
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Would I build another of these I'd wait with welding on the suspension hangers until I have tested mounting the tank on it. That approach does present a practical problem when you work alone in a garage without proper lifting aids, but I'd try to do it anyway to get the weight ratio right. Got some strong friends that won't say nay to a beer.

Can't wait to get the fire going and put some pork on it! Keep you posted with the results.

Cheers /Wes
 
if needed... cut the suspension brackets off and then mount them to a piece of angle... then you can slide the angle back and forth on the frame to the precise spot you want... then drill and bolt the angle to the frame... that way in the future if you add more weight to trailer the suspension and axle will be adjustable for proper tongue weight... just a thought...
 
Ok guys, it's finished. It's tested. It works! Thanks guys for all the good ideas and advice in all the threads. This would definitely have been more difficult without the SMF.


The paint cured well. I measured the firebox surface temp at 300-350 deg C and the cooking chamber between 120-150 so it should be ok.

Also it turns out I got the dimensions right with the calculator. Had no problem raising the cooking chamber temp to 275 deg C. Probably it can be scared up a bit hotter but I can't see a practical use for that...:biggrin:

I guess now I should season the insides.How do you guys normally do? Does it work with regular vegetable oil or should I use somethin special?

Cheers /Wes
 
Welcome swechef. Your build is anything but slow. You'll make your deadline at this rate. And your skills are showing.

Look forward to a speedy completion. You have to, to be ready for your Oktoberfest. Great job!
 
veggy oil will work just fine... I put used veggy oil in a water bottle and poke a hole in the cap (squirt bottle)... then I cover EVERYTHING, inside and out ... then soak a rag down with oil and start wiping her down.... fire her up and run it around 275`F for about 3 hrs... then she's ready to smoke...
 
I just buy cheap veg. oil at wally world and use a squirt bottle I buy from the garden center to spray it down good. Fire it up and burn it all day and keep spraying it down. I keep the squirt bottle hanging on the smoker all the time , and ill pressure wash my racks before I cook and spray them down before putting them back in.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. Took the pressure washer and washed off the soot accumulated during my paint curing fire. Looked clean enough to me. Took the advice on the vegetable oil squirt bottle/rag, covered all inside surfaces with the oil and burned it a couple of hours. Kept the temps around 150-200 C. Worked like a charm.

I just had to throw on a few sausages and a few burgers. I've been working so hard on getting it finished and just had to get the thing tested. It's cooking like a dream. Kids claimed burgers were best ever... I suspect they were just hungry but I'll take the praise any day.
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Oktoberfest tomorrow. Made the deadline! Q-view will follow!

Cheers /Wes
 
The premiere was done with flying colors. This being an Oktoberfest, the focus was on sausages...


The guys at got a bit carried away and dumped the sausages on the grate while I was adding wood to the firebox. This made the sausages a bit sooty, but they tasted great anyway with sauerkraut, mustard, potato salad and some nice Oktoberfest beer. Next year I think I'll stuff some home made bratwurst to go on the grill.

Cheers /Wes
 
Now I have tested the smoker in what it was built for: big chunks of pork. Tried today with small pork shoulder, about 1.5 kg. Tried to keep the temp between 125-150 C (200-250F). It was a bit trickier than I had had expected. I only used birch sticks; maybe next time I'll throw in some briquettes. The problem I found was that it required such a small fire to maintain the temp that it tended to burn out quite quickly. Had to babysit it... Not that I mind sitting by the fire on my own; it's quite relaxing!

I tried to experiment with the airflow, but found it difficult to find a setting that kept the fire burning clean and slow. When I reduced the airflow it started smoking too much and when I increased it it consumed the wood a bit too fast. This is going to be a great journey I think.

Ok, what about the food, then? It turned out great. 3 hours on the smoker. Succulent and with a nice smoke ring.

And the wife actually liked it. Might she slowly start converting to BBQ? :biggrin:

Cheers /Wes
 
Good deal... The challenge to conquer the grill is what makes it so fun... just when you think you got it figured out... SMACK... and then here we go again... practice makes perfect.. although I don't believe that perfection is really ever conquered...
 
Good deal... The challenge to conquer the grill is what makes it so fun... just when you think you got it figured out... SMACK... and then here we go again... practice makes perfect.. although I don't believe that perfection is really ever conquered...


Totally agree 100%
 
Agree. Too bad my practicing is being cut short by the fast approaching winter. Down around and just above freezing now and snow is coming soon. Ofcourse this presents me with a new and interesting quest for insulation. Have toyed with the idea of insulating it properly for some serious sub-zero bbq. I did insulate my wooden smoker box and it smokes meat and fish without any problems at -20C (but it's not a bbq...). Some friends suggested I should replace the wheels on my RFS with skis to go after the sled. That'd be something!
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Cheers /Wes
 
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